Atlantic 10 Conference Members

The University of Dayton is one of the nation's ten largest Catholic universities and Ohio's largest private university, with an enrollment of more than 10,000 students, including more than 6,600 full-time undergraduates. It was founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary (Marianists), a Roman Catholic teaching order of priests and brothers.

Duquesne University first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October, 1878 with an enrollment of 40 students and a faculty of seven. From a humble original location on Wylie Avenue in the City's Uptown section to its present beautifully self-contained campus, Duquesne provides a hilltop vista overlooking one of the nation's most attractive cities.

Founded as St. John's College by Bishop John Hughes, Fordham opened in 1841 to serve the immigrant Church of New York. At the invitation of Bishop Hughes, the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) assumed responsibility for the College in 1846. In 1907 the institution achieved university status. Its name was officially changed to Fordham University. During the 20th century, the University grew to encompass eleven schools, with campuses in the Bronx, Manhattan and Westchester County.

George Mason University is setting the gold standard for the modern, public university. Its dynamic culture and innovative academic programs prepare Mason’s hard-working students for 21st century careers. Its commitment to teaching excellence combines with cutting-edge research that enriches the academic experience and is literally changing the world. Mason is affordable, yet offers high value. Ideally located in the National Capital region, students enjoy terrific cultural experiences and access to the most sought-after internships and employers in the country.

The George Washington University, which celebrated its 175th anniversary in 1996, grew out of the desire of our country's first President to establish a national institution of higher learning. When GW opened its doors in 1821 as Columbian College in the District of Columbia, it boasted three faculty members, one tutor, and 30 students. In 1904, the name of the institution was changed to The George Washington University. Carver Barracks, on the site of the first campus, housed Union soldiers during the Civil War. Despite sagging enrollment, professors continued to hold classes, often in their homes. Forty-six of the school's medical graduates served in the Union Army, 24 in the Confederate Army. Today, the University's enrollment totals more than 19,000 undergraduate and graduate students in nine schools.

The University was founded in 1863, a legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order he founded 300 years ago. La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values: a deep respect for each individual, a belief that intellectual and spiritual development go hand in hand, a passion for creative teaching and learning, and a conviction that education should be useful-for personal growth, professional advancement, and service to others.

A leading center for public higher education in the Northeast, the University of Massachusetts Amherst has gained a reputation for excellence in a growing number of fields, for its wide and varied academic offerings, and for its expanding historic roles in education, research, and public service. The flagship campus of the Commonwealth's University system, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a major research university enrolling approximately 25,000 students, from all 50 United States and over 100 countries.

The University was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The Oliver Watson farm was purchased as a site for the school, and the old farmhouse, now restored, still stands on the campus. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892, and the first class of 17 members was graduated two years later. In 1951 the college became the University of Rhode Island by an act of the General Assembly. The Board of Governors for Higher Education appointed by the governor became the governing body of the University in 1981.

The University of Richmond is a premier, private, liberal arts university featuring highly selective, primarily undergraduate programs, as well as graduate programs in arts and sciences, business and law. Founded in 1830, Richmond is the second-oldest private university in Virginia and home to a number of rich traditions.

The College was provisionally chartered on March 1, 1875, by an Act of the Regents of the State of New York. In the 1920s the College developed a full-time graduate program which has continually expanded since that time. Early in the 20th century St. Bonaventure also became home to the School of Franciscan Studies and the Franciscan Institute. The permanent Charter of Incorporation of the College was granted by the state in 1883, and in 1950, after nearly a century of operation, St. Bonaventure was named a University by the Board of Regents.

Founded in Philadelphia by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University is home to 3,500 full-time undergraduates and 3,000 graduate, executive and non-traditional students. One of just 142 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's challenges its students to exceed their highest ambitions, fosters the mature development of values and deepens a desire to help shape the world.

Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 11,800 students on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Through teaching, research, health care and community service, Saint Louis University is the place where knowledge touches lives.

Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 31,000 students in 222 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Sixty-six of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU's 13 schools and one college. MCV Hospitals and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.